The Doctor Who Walked Away: Dr. Lockhart’s Shocking Resignation from Medical Lake Asylum
The superintendent of the state's notorious mental health facility has tendered his resignation, ending a tenure marked by controversy and leaving the board scrambling for a successor.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
TACOMA, May 26.—The resignation of Dr. Lockhart, superintendent of the Medical Lake Asylum, was filed with the secretary of the board of managers here Tuesday afternoon by O.J. Williams, M.D.
The date upon which it will be made effective is July 15 next, unless some other day shall be agreed upon between the parties.
This is the first time in Dr. Lockhart's connection with the institution that he has offered his resignation to the board of managers. It was received and accepted by the board at its meeting last night.
The resignation will undoubtedly be viewed by both members of the board who have been so active in the management of the asylum as a surprise, but that they cannot accept the resignation is not expected.
Dr. Lockhart's chief secretary and some personal friends are expected to take charge of the matter.
In 1905, the Medical Lake Asylum was one of Washington’s first state-run mental health institutions, located in a remote, isolated setting that critics argued prioritized containment over care. Dr. Lockhart's abrupt resignation highlights the early struggles with staffing stability and administrative transparency in public health facilities—a tension that persists today as modern debates continue over the funding, location, and quality of psychiatric care.
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